Butterfly Ball

Christmas 1975 I just turned 10 two weeks prior and I asked for a Rock & Roll album for the holiday on my wish list ...Christmas Eve came and we got to open our presents my older brother Tom got KISS 'Alive' on vinyl I of course wanted a KISS album too but my parents didn't think me being age 10 was ready for something like that ( this was how parents pretty much were back then) well anyway when I finally got to open a few gifts this album by Roger Glover & Co. was my Christmas present. At the time I was kinda disappointed but wasn't gonna show it I was thankful that I got a Rock & Roll album (I think?) my older brother Tom who was age 15 at the time said that the guy Roger Glover was in the band Deep Purple I at the time didn't really know band names or who in that band 'Tom said ' You know? ...Smoke On The Water' .. I was like 'Wow! liked that song a lot so I figured this was going to great "Rock" album ...When I finally got to play on our wood counsel stereo with the built in speakers ( if you're 45 or older you know what these are) I put on the headphones and laid down on the floor and began to listen to my album ..The first song was an instrumental titled 'Dawn' which sounded like music you wake up to ..interesting enough this record I got was based off an classic children's book for the turn of the century , there was a cast of characters who each got a song of their own and in the style of that character the music was based , characters consisted of Old Blind Mole, Magician Moth , Sir Maximus Mouse and many others especially the main character who was a Frog ..Not really knowing names of these would be famous characters until later were legends in their own right ...Glenn Hughes (Trapeze, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Black Country Communion, David Coverdale ( Deep Purple, Whitesnake) Ronnie James Dio (Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio, Heaven & Hell) and also a cast of artists who musical ranges are stellar to say the least ...Deep Purple bassist ans producer Roger Glover put this project all together and the results are phenomenal but being recorded in 1974 it is very dated but in a good way ...If you've never owned this or you have way back then, do yourself a favour and enjoy it's nostalgia of a simpler time and enjoy because it is simply an amazing time piece in music form .

As has been mentioned, Ronnie James Dio shines on his three performances here, but all the male vocalists featured really outdid themselves. RJD displays a range on this material that he never really showed us in his metal incarnation. He was indeed a vocal marvel. Love Is All was a hit in Europe and is considered the album's centerpiece, and while its the most recognized song due to the animated short that accompanied it, there are other gems here. Dio lends a surprisingly soft, understated perfomance on his other two songs, Sitting In A Dream and Homeward. Waitng (Jimmy Helms) and Little Chalk Blue (John Lawton) are steller songs and deserve to be heard as much as Love Is All. The rest of the album is no slouch either and makes for a great listen. The best part about all of these vocal performances is that they are way out of the relm of hard rock or the burgeoning metal scene for which these singers represented, yet they handle their songs with a sincere and deft touch, suggesting they shoulda strayed from their comfort zones more often. Musically, this album isn't that far removed from what Queen was doing then. It is indeed a children's album, but if you like this style of Beatle-esque rock, don't deny yourself as this is no guilty pleasure.

This is a concept album that follows the characters in a book of the same name. This album was put together by Roger Glover of Deep Purple fame along with some very talented friends. The book was written by William Plomer and illustrated by Alan Aldridge, it's an awesome companion to the music. The illustrations are large and incredible.

Several years ago I'd heard an absolutely wonderful LP with this title, and this wasn't it. What a disappointment! It was like finding out there were two versions of Sergeant Pepper--one by the Beatles and one by Lothar and the Hand People or something--and finding I hadn't ordered the one by the Beatles. WHO KNEW??The one I was looking for was  Butterfly Ball & the Grasshopper's Feast  by Rod Edwards and Roger Hand with narration by Judi Dench and Michael Hordern. Thankfully I realized the error and now have the correct version, which is taken almost verbatim from the book. This version is pure magic, and I'm overjoyed to see it back in circulation after more than 20 years.And get the book!  The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast  Alan Aldridge's illustrations are gorgeous, and browsing through the book as you listen to the CD is a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon teatime.

I first got the book nearly 30 years ago. I have the LP and wanted a CD. I love to listen to this and imagine the Ball and all its participants going to and coming from a ball celebrating such a event. Simply a great CD. A must for all of us that think back on things that we imagined when we were young and innocent

Had this in an album years ago. I was looking on line & saw a video for the title song. It brought back memories.

Listen to this and browse the book.

I LOVE THIS!!!! So addictive and inspiring...... Dio, Hughes, Coverdale, Lawton..... It's worth every penny times ten!

ディープ パープル、あるいは キング クリムゾン 歴代メンバーの関連作品を収集されているかたがたにはよく知られた一枚 だと思います。作品の性質上、ド真ん中のハードロックは期待できない内容ながら、豪華なラインナップによる饗宴が楽しめる企画ものアルバム。更に本CD、アナログ盤時代にはアルバム未収録のシングル音源が含まれておりまして、ここで歌っているのがルシファーズ フレンドやユーライア ヒープでお馴染みの ジョン ロートンだったりします。個人的には、このジョン ロートンと、グレン ヒューズのヴォーカル曲が印象的でした。あと、参加ドラマーの中に、ジューダス プリースト加入以前のレス ビンクスがいたり と意外な発見もありましたね。往年のブリティッシュ ロックが好きなリスナーさんには楽しい一枚でしょう。

Superb!!!

This is a very different piece of work to the other Butterfly Ball CD. I bought it out of curiosity as I had never heard it. Firstly I have to state that I am not a prog rock or Deep Purple fan, and a lot of the musical genres represented here (eg blues) are not for me either, so I am not reviewing it in mind of liking it musically.I can hear other musicals in this - vocals very reminiscent of Hair for eg, I can also hear Tommy and even Rocky Horror. Of course I am aware that Rocky Horror came after this. Throughout it has a very 'musical' feel - one can envisage it being performed live. 'Behind the Smile' sounds like it is being sung by someone who is emulating Scott Walker, and as I love Scott Walker I do quite like that track. Although there are elements of 'child friendly' sound it really does not have the child orientation of the other Butterfly CD, everything is sung, mostly by some very competent singers, though I have to say that Aranea does sound a bit amateur vocally and that reggae/ pop style is painful for me! Fortunately it is very short. Sitting in a Dream is much more appropriate and complex musically. Sir Maximus Mouse is the most 'classic rock' track, Dreams of Sir Bedivere the most prog rock sounding.The entire project gave a lot of people the opportunity to experiment, and I am glad that it hasn't been entirely forgotton.If you like 70s music and fancy a bit of a punt I would recommend it.

Best known for ‘Love is All’ by RJD there are several other pretty good numbers on this disc too; though I could have done without the children singing on the outro of the final track.Probably best enjoyed when in a mellow mood.Playing time just over 48 ¾ mins.

This album was so underrated and very much ignored at the time, considering it had lots of star guests appearing on the various tracks which all have different themes to them. The vocals in particular are excellent and the stand out track is the single release 'Love Is All' with the bonus of this being accessible also as a video single played on DVD.